Reel storage racks



Sept. 15, 1964 J. B. COOK ETAL 3,148,776

REEL STORAGE RACKS Filed Oct. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN'i'ORs JOHN a. COOK 1 cm HENRY v. BENTE ATTORNEYS p 15, 1964 J. B. COOK ETAL 3,148,776

REEL STORAGE RACKS Filed 001;. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T1 E, T1 21 :1 42 3 Q g 32 E A /32 22 f I 5Z o 74 62 h mu 2W H12 42 HHHHHHHH/ E 9' 22 WMHHHHIHIIHHII N 36? ii l i --42 HIHHH 3A 3 Ti;

INVENTORS JOHN B. COOK HENRY v. eszvrs $26M Qua ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,148,776 REEL STORAGE RACKS John Brown Cook, Haintlen, and Henry V. Bente, New Haven, Conn, assignors to Whitney Blake Company, New Haven, Conn.

Filed (Pct. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 148,117 17 Claims. (Cl. 211-43) The present invention relates to handling and storage apparatus for large cylindrical objects, such as drums or reels, and more particularly to graded storage racks for heavy reels of different sizes. Several particular features of the invention include a separator between adjacent reels, a brake for heavy reels, a return track for the separators and an adapter for different width reels.

In the prior art gravity feed storage racks, the rim of a deformed reel could injure the contents of an adjacent reel. Even perfect reels were frequently subject to jamming or injury of the products wound thereon when the rim of one reel slipped past the rim of an adjacent reel in the rack. This rubbing of one rim against part of another reel caused skewing of the reels with respect to the axis of the reel passage, resulting in jams which were difficult to clear when a jam occurred between large, heavy reels at some distance from one end of the passage. In addition, where the graded or inclined rack had a large pitch or where the track was long with a moderate pitch, heavy, fast-moving reels were hard to stop without damaging other reels or the racks. Furthermore, in prior constructions the reels were sometimes difiicult to remove conveniently.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved storage rack for reels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved storage rack of the above character with means for separating the adjacent reels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a storage rack of the above character which is capable of handling heavy reels with safety to personnel and to other reels and equipment.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a storage rack of the above character wherein the reels and the separators are readily removable.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved storage rack of the above character which can handle different sizes of reels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved storage rack of the above character in which means are provided to return the separators from the delivery end to the supply end.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a typical two-level rack, illustrating the inclined floor, the brake, and the separator return track.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view showing the two-level rack containing reels and separator bars, taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of one of the storage racks showing the brake and the adapter, taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 3,l4,?76 Patented Sept. 15, 1%54 ice 4.4 of FIGURE 3 illustrating the construction of the separator bar and its tracks.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of part of the return track showing a separator bar being removed.

As may be seen particularly in FIGURES l and 2, the storage rack in general provides inclined passages A and B in which reels or other similar objects are placed, which objects roll downwardly to the lower end of the passages under the influence of gravity. As shown in FIGURE 1, a separator bar 34 is placed in tracks 42 between the first reel 32 and the lower end of the track 42 with further separator bars 34 between adjacent reels. The reels roll down the track to the delivery end, and are self-feeding, i.e., as one reel is removed, another rolls down to take its place at the delivery end. To remove the reel, the first separator bar 34 at the delivery end of the rack is removed upwardly through the vertical extension 44 of the separator track 42, which frees the first reel 32 for removal. As the first reel 32 at the delivery end is removed, the second reel 32 with a second separator bar 34 rolls downwardly to the delivery end of the rack. The second separator bar 34 encounters the vertical extension 44 and restrains the second reel 32 from falling out of the rack. The separator bars 34 are selfaligning during their movement along tracks 42 due to their dimensions and the configuration of the separator bar tracks 42. This avoids jamming of the separator bars themselves.

Adapter elements are provided to accommodate reels of varying sizes, and braking means are provided to retard the heavy, fast-moving reels. Further, as may be seen in FIGURE 1, there is an inclined track 80 for returning separator bars 34 from the delivery end of the rack to the supply end.

As may be seen in FIGURES l and 2, the arrangement provides inclined floor plates 24 which are supported by longitudinal beams 26, the longitudinal beams 26 being attached to and supported by vertical support numbers 22. Beams 26 are preferably located directly under the flanges 39 of reel 32 for wide reels (see the lower portion of FIGURE 2). The reels are fed into the rack at the upper end, and roll downwardly to the lower or delivery end of the rack.

In order to separate adjacent reels and to prevent the flanges 3d of the reels 32 from jamming each other, there are provided separators 34, each comprising a separator bar 36 (see FIGURE 4) having a disc 38 attached to each end. The discs 38 ride in T-shaped channels 49 of separator tracks 42.

Preferably the length of separator bar 36 is such that the discs 38 are held near the inner edges of channel 44 This gives the separator bar 34 a self-centering action as it rolls down the tracks 42, since if the bar 34 were to roll at an angle to the tracks 42, the engagement of disc 38 with the inner edges of track 42 would slow down the leading end of bar 34, automatically keeping the bar 34 vertical to the axis of tracks 42.

Tracks 42 are supported by the vertical supports 22, and are generally parallel to floor plate 24. At the lower or delivery end, separator tracks 42 have a vertical track extension 44 to stop the separator 34, and which permits separator 34 to be lifted out for successive release of delivered reels. At the supply or upper end, tracks 42 may simply terminate, and the downward grade holds reels and separators in place.

Tracks 42 are preferably supported slightly below the center-line of the reels, about one to two inches being sufficient. This is to insure that, particularly at the delivery end of the rack, the reel flange 30 will not force the separator bar 36 upward through the vertical extension 44. By positioning the track 42 slightly below the center line of the reel, there is a small downward component of force exerted by the reel on the separator bar 34 which prevents the bar from riding up and being forced out through the vertical track extension 44. Even though the separator track 42 is slightly below the center line of the reels, the flanges 30 still are separated from each other by bar 36.

As may be seen in the lower portion of FIGURE 2, the reel 32 is guided by the tracks 42, which provide in effect lateral guide walls for the inclined passageway B to guide the reels through the rack.

As may be seen in passage A in the upper portion of FIGURE 1, there is provided an adapter for reels which are narrower than the distance between the pair of spaced tracks 4-2. The adapter consists of a vertical extension or ridge 28 which is secured to the floor plate 24. The extension 28 thus provides a longitudinal guide for one reel flange, which, as shown in FIGURE 2, maintains the reel at one side of the passageway. One flange of the reel would thus be guided by extension 28, and the other flange would be guided by the separator bar channel 42 as shown in the left top of FIGURE 2.

A separator bar return track 80 is provided at the side of the storage rack, the return track extending from near the top at the delivery end to a lower position at the opposite loading end of the rack, as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2. The return track 89 is preferably formed of C-shaped cross section stock similar to the preferred embodiment of the separator bar guide track 42, and may be seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5. Track 80 is installed with the slot facing downwardly. As the separator bars 34 are removed through the upwardly extending portion 44 of guide track 42, one disc 38 of the separator bar 34 is inserted into the channel of track 80 (see FIGURE 2), whereupon the separator bar 34 slides down the track 80 to the loading end of the rack.

As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the lower end of track 80 has a pair of transverse stops 82, and an aperture 84 on the upper surface. The transverse stops 82 prevent the separator bar from falling out of the track, while the upper aperture 84 permits the separator bars 34 to be removed as desired. To remove the separator bar, the bar 34 may be pivoted so that the rod 36 is generally parallel to the track 80 whereupon the entire bar assembly 34 may be lifted with the disc 38 passing out through the aperture 84.

While the preferred embodiment of the return track 80 is of C-shaped cross section stock, as illustrated, a pair of inclined, spaced, parallel bars would serve the same purpose. In this modification, the bars should be spaced apart less than the radius of disc 38 and more than the radius of rod 36.

A brake assembly 50 is provided to slow down heavy, fast moving reels, since such reels on an inclined track may gain considerable momentum in rolling down to the lower end. As may be seen in FIGURE 1, the brake assembly is preferably located far enough away from the delivery end of the rack that the brake does not bear on the reel which is at the delivery end, but instead retards and stops fast-rolling reels before they reach the delivery end of the rack.

The brake 50 comprises brake arm 52 having a cylindrical loop 53 formed in one end, the loop being pivoted on a bolt 54 mounted on a support member 56. The arm 52 extends diagonally into the path of the reel 32 near the axis of the reel. A reversely bent portion 58 on brake arm 52 is provided with an aperture for the shank of a bolt 6t A bracket 64 is bolted to support 70, and has a pair of ears 66 and 68 (see FIGURE 2), between which reversely bent portion 58 moves, for positioning portion 58 in the vertical plane. Bracket 64 has an aperture provided in the end wall thereof, to accept the shank of bolt 60. Interposed between reversely bent portion 58 and the end portion of bracket 64 is a compression spring 62, spring 62 being mounted around the shank of bolt 60.

Spring 62, hearing on reversely bent portion 58, urges arm 52 outwardly into the path of the descending reel 32. As the reel rolls downwardly, the reel flange 30 engages the diagonal arm 52, and cams arm 52 out of reel passage against the urging of compression spring 62. This slows or brakes the reel 32.

In the case where the brake assembly 5! is utilized in conjunction with the adapter for narrow reels, there is provided a further fixed arm 74 to support and guide the other side of the reel, since if only adapter 28 were utilized, the narrow reel might be overturned or tilted by the brake. Arm 74 is provided directly opposite the arm 52, and supports the other side of the reel, thereby preventing the reel from being overturned. As may be seen in FIGURE 3, arm 74 is firmly supported at each end by being bolted to the upright supports 22, and has an inclined portion to guide an oncoming reel which may be swaying or rocking. The portion of arm 74 which supports the reel against the pressure of the brake, is located preferably directly above the adapter 28.

Accordingly when narrow, heavy reels are being stored in the rack in connection with adapter 28, the support arm 74 permits utilization of the brake mechanism 50. When the full width of the passageway is to be used by wide reels, support arm 74 would be removed.

Accordingly, it may be seen from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings that there has been provided an improved storage and supply rack for large reel-like objects. The improved rack incorporates means for separating adjacent reels, the separating means being the same regardless of the width of the reel, adapter means to adapt the storage rack for reels of any width, and braking means to slow the reels near delivery end. The separator guide tracks at the sides of the reel passageway both guide the reel and support and guide the separator bars. The vertical extension on the inclined rack floor provides guiding means for narrow reels, and a brake backing means has been provided to enable the standard brake to be utilized with narrow reels.

The several component parts of the improved storage rack are each simple and economical to manufacture, yet they fulfill their functions efficiently. These features may readily be added to existing storage racks without large expenditure and require virtually no maintenance.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are etficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A storage rack comprising, in combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending passageway for reels,

(B) rail means forming a track extending along said passageway,

(C) and a plurality of independently movable spacer means for fitting between and separating adjacent reels, said rail means supporting and guiding each spacer means for movement along said passageway independently of other spacer means.

2. In combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending'passageway having (1) an upper supply point,

(2) a lower delivery point,

(3) and an inclined lower surface connecting said points,

(B) a plurality of reels rollably supported on said surface and serially disposed therealong, with their cylindrical axes substantially parallel, for successive rolling gravity discharge from said passageway at said delivery point,

(C) a pair of opposed tracks supported above said inclined surface at opposite sides of said reels, said tracks being substantially parallel to said surface,

(D) and a plurality of reel separating spacers, each spacer being (1) supported by said tracks to extend across said passageway between successive reels, and

(2) freely movable along said tracks except insofar as it is restrained by a reef in engagement therewith.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said tracks define inwardly directed opposed longitudinal slots, and said spacer means are supported in and guided along said slots.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said slots communicate with enlarged longitudinal passages, and wherein each end of each said spacer means has an enlargement, said enlargements being disposed in said enlarged passages.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the portions of said slots, which are adjacent the lower end of said inclined surface, terminate in upwardly directed open-ended slots.

6. In combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending passageway having (I) an upper supply point,

(2) a lower delivery point,

(3) and an inclined lower surface connecting said points,

(B) a plurality of reels, each of which has a given radius, said reels being rollably supported serially along said surface, with their cylindrical axes substantially parallel, for successive rolling gravity discharge from said passageway at said delivery point,

(C) a pair of opposed tracks supported above said inclined surface,

(1) said tracks being substantially parallel to said surface,

(2) said tracks defining inwardly directed opposed longitudinal slots communicating with enlarged longitudinal passages,

(3) said slots being positioned a distance above said inclined surface no greater than substantially the radius of said reels,

(D) and a plurality of spacer means supported by said tracks and movable therealong independently with respect to each other for separating the reels being stored, each end of each of said spacer means having an enlargement disposed in one of said enlarged passages.

7. The combination of claim 2, further comprising braking means for said reels, said braking means being located between said supply and said delivery points.

8. A storage rack comprising, in combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending passageway having (l) an upper supply point,

(2) a lower delivery point,

(3) and an inclined lower surface connecting said points,

(B) a pair of opposed tracks supported above said inclined surface, said tracks being substantially parallel to said surface,

(C) a plurality of independently movable spacer means supported by and independently movable along said tracks for separating the objects being stored,

(D) and braking means for said objects,

(1) said braking means being located between said supply and said delivery points,

(2) said braking means comprising (a) a member having a braking surface which extends diagonally across a portion of said passageway to engage said objects, the portions of said braking surface which are nearer the center of said passage being nearer the delivery point,

(b) and means supporting and resiliently urging said member toward the center of said passageway, whereby an object moving down said passageway will engage said braking surface and force said member out of said passageway.

9. The combination of claim 8, further comprising means for adapting said rack to handle objects narrower than said passageway, said adapting means comprising a raised portion between the edges of said inclined lower surface, said raised portion extending parallel to the axis of said passageway for substantially the entire length of said passageway.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said braking means further comprises a backing member for engagement with said object, said backing member being rigidly supported vertically above said raised portion at the same distance from said inclined lower surface as said braking surface, whereby an object being braked has one side engaged by said braking surface and an opposite side supported by said backing member.

11. A storage rack comprising, in combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending passageway having (1) an upper supply point, (2) a lower delivery point, (3) and an inclined lower surface connecting said points, (B) braking means for objects moving along said lower surface,

(1) said braking means being located between said supply and said delivery points, (2) said braking means comprising (a) a member having a braking surface which extends above said lower surface and diagonally across a portion of said passageway to engage said objects, the portions of said braking surface which are nearer the center of said passageway being nearer the delivery point,

(12) means supporting and resiliently urging said member toward the center of said passageway, whereby an object moving down said passageway will engage said braking surface and cam said member out of said passageway,

(c) and a backing member for engagement with said object, said backing member being rigidly supported above said inclined lower surface at the same distance from said inclined lower surface as said braking surface, whereby an object being braked has one side engaged by said braking surface and an opposite side supported by said backing member,

12. A storage rack comprising, in combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending passageway having (1) an upper supply point, (2) a lower delivery point, (3) and an inclined surface connecting said points, (B) a pair of opposed tracks supported above said inclined surface, said tracks being substantially parallel to said surface,

(C) spacer means supported by and movable along said tracks for separating the objects being stored,

(D) and means for adapting said rack to handle objects narrower than said passageway, said adapting means comprising a raised portion between the edges of said inclined lower surface, said raised portion extending parallel to the axis of said passageway for substantially the entire length of said passageway.

13. A storage rack comprising, in combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending passageway having (1) an upper supply point, (2) a lower delivery point,

(3) and an inclined lower surface connecting said points,

(B) at least one independently movable reel separator extending across said passageway to fit between the flanges of adjacent reels on said passageway and hold the flanges of the adjacent reels apart, said separator comprising an elongated bar having enlarged portions on each end thereof,

(C) a pair of opposed tracks supported above said inclined surface, each of said tracks comprising a longitudinal member having (1) an upwardly facing surface extending along said passageway,

(2) and a restraining structure engaging an enlarged portion of said bar, said restraining structures constraining said separator to movement along said passageway.

14. A storage rack comprising, in combination,

(A) means defining a longitudinally extending passageway having (1) an upper supply point,

(2) a lower delivery point,

(3) and an inclined lower surface connecting said points,

(B) a pair of opposed tracks supported above said inclined surface, said tracks being substantially parallel to said surface,

(C) independently movable spacer means supported by and movable along said tracks for separating the objects being stored,

(D) and a return track for returning said spacer means from delivery point to said supply point, said return track being supported alongside said rack with the end nearer said delivery point being higher than the end nearer said supply point, whereby spacer means inserted in said return track at said delivery end of said rack slide down said return track to said supply end of said rack.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein said return track comprises an elongated member having therein a longitudinally extending T-shaped slot for reception of said enlargement on said spacer means.

16. The combination of claim 14, wherein said return track comprises a pair of parallel, inwardly directed, opposed flanges.

17. The combination defined in claim 6 in which said slots are positioned above said inclined surface by slightly less than the radius of said reels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 581,959 Hohoff May 4, 1897 2,193,942 Shackelford Mar. 19, 1940 2,818,978 Post Jan. 7, 1958 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,148,776 September 15, 1964 John Brown Cook et a1.

It is hereby-certified. that error appears in the above numbered patent requiringcorrection and" tha,t the,said Letters Patent should read as corrected below;

Column 5, line 7, for "reef" read reel Signed and sealed this 5th day of January 1965.

(SEAL) Attesti ERNEST w'. SWI'DER" EDWARD J. BRENNER A ttes'tiilg Officer Commissioner; of Patents 

1. A STORAGE RACK COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) MEANS DEFINING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAY FOR REELS, (B) RAIL MEANS FORMING A TRACK EXTENDING ALONG SAID PASSAGEWAY, (C) AND A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE SPACER MEANS FOR FITTING BETWEEN AND SEPARATING ADJACENT REELS, SAID RAIL MEANS SUPPORTING AND GUIDING EACH SPACER MEANS FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID PASSAGEWAY INDEPENDENTLY OF OTHER SPACER MEANS. 